The Trees of Ashe County, North Carolina

The mountains of Ashe County, in North Carolina’s northwest corner, support an antediluvian mixed hardwood forest, rooted in nutrient-rich soil and watered by 40 to 60 inches of annual rainfall. From the highest peaks—approaching a mile above sea level—to the lowest valleys, through which flows one of the most ancient river systems in the world, trees carpet much of the county’s 406 square miles. Species with nicknames like wahoo, goosefoot, ironwood, shadblow, bom-a-gilly and buckeye thrive. Others, dominant in the region for millennia, have all but disappeared in recent years. The author describes in detail their anatomy and ecology, and discusses maple syrup production, the local nursery business and the lore and deep value of heritage apple trees; 165 photographs are included.

Doug Munroe is a painter, former president of the Florence Thomas Art School and a retired nurseryman living in the Clifton Community of Ashe County. He partners with his daughter and son-in-law in a commercial maple syrup business and manages a couple of trout ponds.

Doug Munroe

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 259
Bibliographic Info: 165 color photos, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7252-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3151-6
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies

Acknowledgments vi
Introduction 1
History 9
Part I: Evergreens
Part II: Native Trees
Part III: Introduced Trees
Part IV: Tree Culture
Index 245